The Pasco and Hernando County Sheriff's Offices increased patrols in and around their respective schools Thursday following the shooting in Parkland.

"We understand the tragic event in Broward County has unnerved parents across the country," read a message posted to the Pasco County Sheriff's Office Facebook page Wednesday evening.

"We want to make it very clear that there are no threats to Pasco County and that this enhanced presence is to help provide peace of mind."

Hernando County Sheriff Al Nienhuis and School Superintendent Dr. Lori Romano worked to reassure their community in a video posted to Facebook Thursday morning. Nienhuis said his deputies proactively investigate reports that students may harm themselves or others and, when the claims are legitimate, work to get them the mental help they need.

"Even when we have no evidence the student was serious, we conduct a thorough investigation and ensure, as best we can, that the student does not have the means to carry out any act of violence," Sheriff Nienhuis said.

Nienhuis stressed the importance of a phrase often reiterated by law enforcement: "If you see something, say something."

Romano said that also goes for bullying.

"Although bullying is no excuse for crime, we can all do our part to make sure that bullying does not contribute to the problem," Romano said.

Lt. Troy Fergueson with the Pasco County Sheriff's Office is also the school district's safety director. He said the violence in Parkland hit close to home.

"It's everyone’s worst nightmare," Fergueson said. "There's nothing worse than the loss of innocent children's lives."

Fergueson said the district is always working to make its crisis response plan better. Last year, it adopted a more proactive approach based on federal guidelines. The district now tells students and staff to remember the ABCs if they find themselves in an active shooter situation: A - avoid the situation and alert others and 911 of what's going on, B - barricade yourself in a safe place if you can't avoid, and C - counter.

"That's a last resort option,” said Fergueson. "That's a personal decision, but certainly, if your life is on the line, we would encourage you to take some sort of action to try to avoid that."

Fergueson said the approach is aimed at increasing survivability in the time between when the first shots ring out and when police can get to the scene.

"Ultimately, no matter what type of plan you have, if someone is absolutely determined to commit such a heinous act of violence, if they look at your program and your policies long enough, they may find a way to exploit a weakness," he said.

Pasco Schools has a resource guide to help parents talk to children about this kind of violence. You can find it here.